Akari's Garden
by Mugsy Lennon
Summary: Nobody ever understood what Akari was talking about; they didn't see the same things she was seeing. The day she found herself on Castanet, little Akari knew things were about to change. With new-found friend Paolo at her side, Akari will embark on a journey unlike anything she'd ever expected, destined to save this place she now calls home.
1. Prologue & Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Endless questions; no matter how hard he tried, Ozzie could never get his son to refrain from curiosity. He would always be filled with wonder and amazement at the slightest things, and wasn't afraid to pester his father with questions, especially about the ocean.

"Pa," Paolo might ask. "Why is the sea salty?" or, "Why don't fish talk like people do?" Ozzie would do his best to explain these things to his boy, but Paolo's questions would just keep coming.  
It wasn't until the day Akari came to Castanet that Paolo's questions gained purpose.

**Chapter 1 ~ Beginnings**  
Captain Pascal had anchored his boat off the west shore as always. And just like always, little Paolo ran out to the dock at the sound of the foghorn to greet his idol.  
"Captain Pascal!" he'd shout everyday, holding his blue cap down to combat the sea breeze. He'd stop before his hero and ask. "Can I come on your next sail?" or, "Did you find treasure?! Ooh, or shipwrecks?"  
Pascal would smile down at the eager boy and pat him on the head. "Paolo, what will your father do with you? Always with the questions!" he'd say.  
But on this particular morning, Pascal led a little girl down off the boat. She appeared around Paolo's age, with long brown hair and deep green eyes. She looked confused, at best.  
"Ah, Paolo," Pascal said. "Meet my young stowaway, Akari."  
"Stowaway?" Paolo asked. "What will we do?"  
"She'll live here, on Castanet!"  
"But what about her family?"  
"Akari is an orphan, Paolo. She has nowhere to go at this point, and I expect that it why she decided to hide away on my boat."  
"Where did she come from? Where will she stay?"  
Pascal laughed. "You have too many questions, Paolo," he said. "We'll just have to find someone who will take her in. There just seems to be something special about her. Since you seem so interested in her well-being, how about you show her around town while I find somewhere for her to live?"  
Akari looked at Paolo nervously.  
"Okay! Come on, Akari," Paolo smiled as he spoke, leading the quiet newcomer across the dock and into town.  
Akari followed silently, wishing somebody would ask what she wanted. More than anything, she was terribly hungry.  
"Is it scary?" Paolo asked her.  
"What?" replied Akari quietly.  
"Is it hard, I mean. To suddenly be living here?"  
The girl nodded sadly. "Nobody asks me what I want. They just do what they think is best for me."  
"Oh. How old are you?"  
"Seven."  
"Me too!"  
Akari was silent and walked beside Paolo, wondering why she snuck onto the Captain's boat in the first place. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now she couldn't see why.  
Paolo stopped suddenly, fixing his blue cap. "Well, what DO you want?" he asked.  
"Not to go on this tour right now," the little girl replied, shuffling her feet back in forth. Her worn, brown leather boots scraped against the pavement. "And to have something to eat."  
"Well, I don't like to disobey the Captain. But my dad will probably have lunch ready by the time we-"  
"Paolo," Akari interrupted, pointing to an azalea bush. "What's that? There, in the bushes!"  
"What's what? It's just a bush."  
Akari blinked rapidly and shook her head. There really was nothing there but a bush. She thought she'd seen something, something orange. It had appeared to look at her. But now, she didn't see it. "I guess I'm seeing things," Akari said, putting it out of her mind. But what had she seen?  
Perhaps she'd have to investigate and find out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 ~ A Rough Welcome**  
As they ate lunch, Paolo began to worry about Akari and what would happen if nobody wanted to take her in. More importantly, what if she didn't want to stay on Castanet? Akari was silent throughout their meal of fish sticks (Ozzie caught the fish himself). In fact, nothing was said until Paolo opened his mouth to break the silence.  
"Akari," he said. "Why did you sneak onto Captain Pascal's boat?"  
Akari sighed. She was tired of people questioning her about her decisions. She told herself she'd just have to let Paolo slide, because they were both little kids and he was only trying to understand her. "I was tired of my boring life being thrown from house to house because I don't have parents."  
"That's what being a little kid is all about, isn't it? Aren't we supposed to be told what to do?"  
A tear fell from Akari's eye. "I was hoping I could find a place where I'd finally seem important. I bet nobody even noticed I left!" She heard the door opening and wiped her tears away hurriedly.  
Captain Pascal cleared his throat, having come through the front door. "Akari," he said. "I have found someone who will take you in. Shall we go?"  
Akari cried out, "No, no, I don't want to go yet! I just got here! What if I don't want to stay here?"  
Pascal sighed. "There is no way you could go back now, Akari. This is your home now."  
"Why didn't you take me back to my old home? Why do I have to stay here?"  
Pascal didn't have an answer. Akari cried. She cried the tears of an orphaned seven-year-old girl who had lost her way, and Paolo was incredibly sad. He wondered why Akari didn't want to stay. Perhaps she was merely afraid.  
"Who's taking her in?" Paolo asked. Sadly, he couldn't think of a single person in town who'd be able to do so.  
"Irene," Pascal replied.  
Paolo cocked his head. It seemed rather unlike the old nurse to want to take in a young stowaway. Oh well, as long as Akari had somewhere safe to stay, he wasn't going to complain.  
"Akari, shall we go?" Pascal asked the girl. Akari wiped a tear from her face and stood up with a nod. Paolo wanted to tag along, but Ozzie sent him off to catch some salmon for delivery.  
Akari followed the boat captain quietly through Harmonica Town, a small town laid out in tiers with white-washed stone pathways and stairs. Pascal led the little girl up to the highest point, a little cottage above the Ocarina Inn. Potted plants brightened the gray-white exterior.  
Pascal knocked on the wooden door that smelled of pine and adjusted his hat. An old woman came to the door, solemn-faced in contrast to her welcoming home. "Irene," Pascal began, tipping his hat. "This is the young girl I told you about."  
Irene looked down at Akari and smiled slightly. "Yes, I recall," she replied. "Do come in."  
"Why, thank you," said Pascal, leading Akari into the cottage. She shyly followed him. "It was awfully kind of you to offer to take care of Akari. I don't what else we would have done."  
"I am not as strict and cold-hearted as one may think, Captain." Irene objected.  
Akari shifted her weight between feet nervously.  
"No such an explanation will be necessary, thank you," replied Pascal.  
"Very well then." Irene focused her attention on Akari. "Come along, child."  
Akari could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She turned to Pascal and looked at him pleadingly, eyes glistening with tears as if not wanting him to leave. After all, he seemed like the only friend she had so far. He smiled at her, tipped his hat, and left. Akari peered out the window and watched him go down the stairs. Despite the plants outside, the place on which the cottage stood, above all the rest of the buildings, seemed gloomy to her. The pavement outside the house was grayer than it was in the town center. She sighed and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.  
"Child?"  
The little girl jumped and turned around. She had forgotten Irene was waiting for her.  
"Come," Irene repeated, beckoning the child to follow her down a hallway.  
Akari followed the old woman silently, taking in the bright white walls of the hallway, dotted with black and white photographs of laughing children and smiling families. One picture grabbed Akari's attention. There was something sitting on top of a fence post in one of the photos. In the years that followed, they all would remember it; the first thing Akari ever said to Irene that day. The moment she pointed to an everyday fence post in an old photograph and asked, quite simply, "What's that?"

In that moment, Irene had muttered "merely a fence post" and led Akari off to her room. Now, on that same night, Akari sat on the bed, tapping her feet against the hardwood floor. She wondered why no one else ever saw what she was seeing. Not even Paolo or Pascal. Then she wondered what Paolo was up to. Akari decided to go find him. After all, if she had to stay, she might as well make a friend. Quietly, she snuck down the hall and to the front door.  
"Where on earth are you going?!" Irene bellowed, startling Akari.  
The girl froze with her hand on the doorknob, trembling.  
Irene sighed. "Oh, alright."  
Akari burst out the door. She hopped down the stairs, bathed in sunset light and feeling as incredibly free as a seven-year-old girl can.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 ~ Exploration at it's Finest**

Paolo used his foot to dig through the dirt of the meadow. He reached down, snatched a worm out of the soil, and stuck it on his hook. Then he cast his fishing line into the pond and watched the ripples it created. He sat there for a long time, lying in wait as the sun began to drop below the horizon.  
Paolo had nearly drifted off to sleep when he heard footsteps approaching quietly like a fox in the night.  
It was Akari who approached, peering through the tall grass, wonder and curiosity in her wide, green eyes.  
"What are you doing here?" Paolo asked, not meaning to sound as harsh as he did.  
Akari frowned and looked down at her feet. "Looking for you," she replied.  
"Oh." Paolo was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "How did you find me?"  
The girl shrugged and sat down in the grass, only the top of her head poking above the surface. For a long time the two of them just sat there, the only sound the trickling of the stream. After a few minutes had passed, Akari had been studying the ground and picked up a shiny pebble. Was it a pebble? She held it up. "What's this?" she inquired.  
Paolo looked up and studied the object in her hand for merely a few seconds. "Oh, I see those pebbles every once in a while. But not often. They're rare, I think."  
"Well," Akari began. "I think it looks more like a seed than a pebble."  
"A seed?" Paolo cocked his head. "I've never seen a seed that shiny."  
"Either way, I'm going to plant it!" Akari jumped up and ran to a patch of dirt across the stream. She bent down and used her hands to dig a small hole in the earth. As Paolo watched in curiosity, she gently placed the seed in and covered it back up. After that she found a large shell on the nearby sand and used it to scoop up some pond water, then went back to the dirt patch and poured it over top.  
"There!" She said with a giggle. "How long do you think it'll take to grow?"  
"I'm almost positive it's a pebble!" Paolo insisted.  
"Well," Akari smiled. "I'm going to prove you wrong."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 ~ Indescribably Tedious Routine  
**  
The summer ended just as quickly as it had begun; soon, the autumn had wrapped itself around the island, foretelling the rapidly approaching winter. Akari had nearly forgotten about her unusual visions, though that soon changed.  
Akari woke up with a start. She remembered the dream vividly as if it had been real; every last detail had etched itself into her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, she couldn't get it out of her thoughts. She had dreamt of a beautiful, almost majestic woman with long hair the color of the summer sky. Akari thought she had heard the woman say something, though it was unclear what those words actually were. But the woman seemed in distress, and Akari found the dream peculiar and rather unsettling to think about.  
In an effort to forget the dream, she got dressed and plodded down the hallway. Her breakfast was laid out on the kitchen table just as it always had been. Irene was already at work, just as she always was. And so it was that Akari ate her soggy cereal alone in the quiet of the drafty kitchen, just as she always did. Yet she could not shake the dream.  
As she was finishing her perpetually mushy breakfast (now that she thought about it, it seemed like a rather unhealthy breakfast for a nurse to leave for a child), the doorbell rang. It rang over and over and over again as Akari ran to the front door. She opened it slowly, yet there was no one there. She thought perhaps Paolo was trying to scare her, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Akari began to grow very confused and afraid.  
"Who's out there?" she called shakily. "Whoever you are, y- you'd better show yourself before I start screaming!"  
There was no answer. Akari's heart pounded heavily in her chest.  
"I'll say it again, but this is your last warning! Whoever's out there, you'd better come out right now!"  
Still, there was no response. Akari began to cry and ran down the stone stairs, down and down and down until she reached the center of town, trying to see through her tears. Fearfully, she hid behind the tailor's, still unable to shake her odd dream and trying to think of a possible explanation for all that had been happening to her. After all, she wouldn't even turn eight for several weeks!  
It had to be about forty minutes later that she finally stood up and ran back to the house, determined to figure out what was going on. She tried to hide her fear. "This is the last time I'll say it!" she called. "Leave me alone!"  
This time, there was finally a faint response coming from behind the flower pot. "Why would I leave you alone," it squeaked. "If you're the only one who can help?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 ~ Unnerving Silence**

Paolo was confused; incredibly, unfathomably confused. It was midmorning and he still hadn't seen, heard, or caught a single fish. He couldn't come up with a logical explanation as to why all those fish could be there one day and then gone the next.

"Daaaaad!" he shouted as he ran back to the shop, dropping his fishing pole and leaving it there on the dock. He burst through the door. "Dad, what happened to all the fish?"

Ozzie looked up from the counter and jogged over to his son. He adjust Paolo's blue cap and smiled down at him. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Come on!" Paolo cried, taking his father's hand and pulling him towards the door. "I'll show you!"

Ozzie was shocked by what he saw. There were no fish. "Wonderful," he muttered. "This is just wonderful. I'm going to go out of business."

"Daddy, are we going to starve?" Paolo whimpered.

Ozzie shook his head. "Of course not."

"Are the fish going to come back?"

"I hope so, Paolo. I hope so."

"Help who? Who are you?" Akari asked shakily.

A small, fairy-like creature flew out from behind the planter. He was dressed in orange, hat and all. It took a minute for Akari to realize this was the creature she'd been seeing; in the bushes, in that old photograph.

"What are you? Are you a f-"

"Please don't call me a fairy."

"Are you one, though? Are you a fa-"

"No, just don't, stop."

"You look like a f-"

"I am not a fairy, okay? I am Finn the Harvest Sprite. Well, I'm not a real Harvest Sprite. But I want to be one. I don't have my own bell yet or anything."

Akari backed away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Didn't you ever hear of Harvest Sprites?"

Akari nodded. "But where I come from, I was always told not to believe in them."

"Well, start believing, because you're looking at one!" the Sprite said cheerfully.

"Why did you come to me?"

"The Harvest Goddess needs your help."

"My help? I'm only seven!"

"I'll explain that later. Now, the Harvest Goddess' Tree is dying. We need you to help ring five elemental bells (wind, water, fire, earth, and love) to restore the island to what it once was."

Akari sighed. "I'm so confused."

Finn sighed back. "I'm so bad at this. Alright, follow me!" Finn began to fly happily through town, and Akari followed as best as she could.

"Where are we going?" she called.

"You'll see! But until we get there, you might not wanna make it look or sound like I'm here!"

"Why?"

"Just stop talking and I'll explain when we get there!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 ~ A Journey Begins

Finn led Akari up Garmon Mountain to a hidden spring she hadn't seen before. Akari looked at her reflection in the crystal clear waters in awe. Then she approached the woman who was waiting for her, the woman from her dream. Akari was amazed by the mysterious aura about her.

"Akari," the woman said. "I've been waiting."

"Why me?" Akari asked immediately. "I'm seven."

"You're the only one who can see Finn, Akari, and there's no time to wait. Finn will help you through it all."

"I- I can't."

"You're capable of more than you know, Akari."

Akari dropped to her knees. "You didn't pick the right person," she whispered.

"I've known you were the right person for a long time, Akari. You just haven't believed."

Akari recalled all the times she'd seen things she couldn't explain, all the times people called her a silly little girl, and was overwhelmed. For the past seven years, she'd been considered unstable or something, and maybe that was why she was never wanted. Before she had the chance to speak, it all became too much for her. She ran out of the forest grove, leaving Finn behind to watch in bewilderment. Akari darted through the mountainside and dropped to her knees when she reached the pond.

Paolo dug his toes into the warm sand. He was incredibly bored. There wasn't much left to occupy his young mind. Nobody was around to play with, and there was still a strange lack of fish in the waters. He was uninterested in everything around him. That all changed, however, when he saw someone laying in the grass up by the pond.

Curious, he ran up the slope. He was shocked to find that it was Akari laying there. He bent down beside her.

"Hey, Akari, wake up," he said. "Akari! Wake up!"

The girls green eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him. Her face grew pale.

"Hi," Paolo said. "Are you okay?"

"Paolo, I have to tell you something important. I have to save the world."

"What?"

"I can't really explain it, but I may need your help."

Akari reached into her pocket and pulled out the house key she had so wrongly been entrusted with. She frowned at it, yet another premature responsibility that had been forced upon her.

She forced the thought out of her mind and stood on tiptoe to fit the key into the doorknob with careful precision. Akari turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. She shut it behind her and turned on the kitchen light. The house was dark except for the dim wall lamp in the hall, so she knew Irene was not home yet.

As always.

Akari took off her shoes and plodded down the white hallway to her room. Her attention was again caught by the old photograph with the fence, but this time she understood that it was Finn atop the fence post.

It was Finn.

Despite herself Akari sat down on her bed and watched out the window for Irene, for she was hungry and waiting for dinner. Instead, she saw Finn fly up to the window and reluctantly opened it to let him in.

"Shh," he whispered.

"I'm the only one home," Akari replied.

Finn frowned. "You're left here all by yourself?"

"Yes, and I'm hungry!" the little girl whined. There was silence until she said, "Why are you here?"

"Because we need to get started tomorrow," Finn answered firmly.

"Tomorrow? But I'm not ready!"

"There's no time to lose, Akari. We at least need to ring one of the bells to sustain at least a little more life for the Harvest Tree."

"But-"

"Tomorrow morning we'll go looking for the yellow bell."

"Where?"

"I don't know, maybe on the beach. That seems like a good place to look for a bell."

Akari was going to respond before she heard the front door open. "Shh!" she whispered to the Sprite. Finn nodded and tucked himself away behind Akari's dresser, settling in for a nap.

"Akari!" Irene shouted in that hoarse voice of hers.

"I'm coming!" Akari called back, quietly walking to the kitchen. Irene untied a clump of herbs from the string of them in front of the window and laid it on the counter. She put water on to boil and searched the cupboard for something to cook. Irene ended up taking some sliced tuna from the fishery and some fresh bread and making tuna sandwiches for the two of them. Akari ate hers tentatively, knowing Irene was just trying so hard to provide for her, even though it was incredibly bland.

"I had planned on purchasing some fresh summer produce from Marimba Farm," the old woman explained, dropping the herbs into the pot. "But it seems there is little success with the crop this year. So we'll have to settle for what we can get. If things continue on this way, it's going to be a hard winter."

Akari remembered that she was supposed to restore the island. "Well, maybe it will get better," she said.

Irene poured the herbal tea into a cup and set it down in front of the little girl. "One can only dream, Akari."

"Don't you think it's possible?"

"I'll tell you what, child. Let's make a bet of sorts. If you can get fresh local produce in this kitchen for winter, I'll grant you one wish."

"What can I wish for?"

"We'll discuss that when and IF you succeed."

Akari nodded and bit into her sandwich. She knew exactly what she'd ask for.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 ~ Torrents**

Thunder cracked outside and torrents of autumn rain pounded on Akari's bedroom window, jostling her out of a deep sleep. She rubbed her weary eyes and peered out the window, down to the streets below that had quickly turned into rivers. She donned her clothes and plodded into the empty kitchen. A bowl of cereal lay on the counter, but Akari wasn't hungry. Instead, she grabbed a small umbrella and left the house.

Trickles of water flowed around her feet. As the water rushed down the stairs, Akari's boots, if only for a moment, came out from under her and sent her sprawling out onto the pavement below, hitting the ground with a loud splash. Yet, despite it all, she got back up and continued, though her knees were wet and covered in grime from the streets. Akari trudged through the endless stream of water and eventually ran into Finn.

"Good morning!" he chattered upon seeing her, flying under the umbrella. "Are you ready to find the- hey, why are you all wet?"

Akari looked down at her soaked clothes and squishy wet leather boots. "I slipped in the water. But I'm okay. Are we going to find the bell today?"

"That's what I was going to ask you," replied Finn with a frown. "But I think it's too dangerous."

"Don't be silly," the little girl insisted. "It'll be fine!"

Finn sighed. "I don't know..."

The last thing Akari wanted to do was stay home in that stuffy old house. "Please?" she begged, giving Finn her sweetest, most innocent face possible.

"Akari, you're only seven and -"

"Hey, I turn eight this winter!" Akari pouted.

"Akari, you're only almost eight and I can't risk you getting hurt and if something were to happen there wouldn't be much I could do because you're the only one who even knows I exist!"

"Finn, stop making such a big deal!"

"I don't think we should goooooo!" Finn's tiny hands clenched. The childish little Sprite was trying to be responsible and here Akari wasn't letting him.

"Fine!" Akari turned her back. Buckets upon buckets of rain fell onto the barren streets of Harmonica Town. Here she was, a little girl standing seemingly alone in the middle of a flooding street, and the only one who really cared to see what she was doing was a Sprite no one else could see. Was everyone else just ignorant? Or was she just crazy like everyone always said?

It was a while before Akari snapped out of her thoughts; she didn't turn around again until Finn began to cry.

"I just want to get along and protect you," he whimpered. "It's not just my job, you're my only friend; you're all I have, Akari."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 ~ Being Social is Stupid**

Finn and Akari sat in the wet sand, staring at the dull yellow bell in front of them.

"...How do we get Collin out?" Akari asked, brushing the sand off of the precious object.

Finn looked up at the clouded sky. "Well, there's not enough moonlight to charge it."

The little girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'll explain it to you when it's not so cloudy. In the meantime, I think you should go home and go to bed."

"Why?"

"...School starts tomorrow, remember?"

Paolo met Akari at the base of the steps. He watched the girl walk miserably down from her home, new backpack on her back and paper bag lunch in hand. He heard the girl's stomach growl and looked at her sadly.

"Didn't you eat breakfast?" he asked.

Akari shook her head. "I couldn't eat anything. I'm too scared." The two of them began walking slowly toward the small school amidst a bunch of other island children. "You know, I don't think I've ever gone to a real school before."

"Really?" inquired Paolo. He gave her a look of strong disbelief.

"They taught us what was required at the orphanage where I used to live," Akari explained. "But I never really went to school."

Paolo felt bad for the girl. "Don't worry," he beamed, trying to encourage her. "There's nothing to be scared of."

The two children reached the school and Paolo opened the doors, motioning for Akari to come inside. The little girl reluctantly stepped inside and immediately felt out of place, not knowing where to go or what she had to do; all of the other children seemed to know exactly what was going on.

"Come on," Paolo insisted, pulling his friend through another door to an entirely different room. "This is the room where our grade goes."

"How many rooms are there?" Akari asked in wonder.

The boy smiled. "I don't really know, but only these two are used because all of the kids here are fairly close in age."

By the time school began for the day, there were only 6 children in the room - including the two of them. Paolo and Akari sat in the front of the small room. A very official looking, light-haired young man sat at a desk in the front with a stern look on his face.

"Welcome back, students," he stated professionally, running his fingers through his hair. "I take it you all had a fine summer."

Paolo leaned in next to Akari and whispered, "That's Mr. Hamilton. He's the mayor's son, but he teaches here at the school."

"He looks scary," Akari remarked.

"He's been teaching us for 2 years. He's not nearly as mean as he seems, but he likes for things to go smoothly."

Mr. Hamilton cleared his throat. "Paolo? I take it you have something to share?"

"N-No sir," the boy replied politely, eyes widening.

"Let's not start off on the wrong foot, shall we? Now, class," the young man raised his voice. "I believe we have a new student this year." He motioned for Akari to stand up. "Class, this is Akari, and she just arrived to Castanet recently, so I expect you all to be respectful."

"Hello!" boomed a cheerful looking girl in the back with red hair put up in pigtails on top of her head.

Mr. Hamilton sighed. "Chloe, we're not going to start off this way again, are we?"

"No sir!" the girl bellowed again.

"Your volume, Chloe."

"No sir..."

Mr. Hamilton smiled. "Might I see you outside, Akari? The rest of you may discuss your summer adventures - quietly."

Akari followed the tall, lanky teacher into the hall, quaking uncontrollably. She glanced at the cheerful decorations and watercolor pictures hanging on the walls, but they didn't lessen her fear.

The teacher opened up a cabinet in the wall and pulled out a few books. "Here are your schoolbooks, young lady," he told her. "It's expected that you will take good care of them."

Akari nodded. "I will."

"Now, you'll all be getting new books this year, so I'll hand these to you with the rest of the class."

"Okay." Akari's stomach growled and she clutched in hungrily. She wished she'd eaten.

Mr. Hamilton frowned at the girl. "...Akari, you're not... neglected, are you?"

Akari's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, sir, not at all! Ms. Irene takes very good care of me. She tries to get the freshest, healthiest food possible and the house is clean and everything!"

"I'd expect so, as she is a highly respected nurse. You just seem hungry."

"I was too scared this morning; I couldn't eat breakfast."

The teacher opened up the cabinet again and reached up to the top shelf. He pulled out a chocolate chip granola bar and handed it to the little girl, who graciously opened it up and began nibbling on the end of it.

"I keep these especially for instances like these, young lady," Mr. Hamilton added.

"Th-thank you."

They entered the classroom and he passed out the schoolbooks he'd mentioned. The morning went smoothly, though all eyes were on her the entire time, especially those of a girl with long blonde hair and a frown on her face. Why is she frowning at me like that? Akari thought.

At 12:00, they broke for lunch in a small, enclosed field behind the school. Paolo and Akari sat against the fence.

"When it's nice out, we get to eat out here," stated Paolo. "A lot of us mostly sit together."

A little boy with light brown hair ran up to the two of them, followed by a red-haired girl in a polka-dot dress.

"Paolo, Paolo," the boy called. "Are we going to go fishing after school?"

"There aren't any, Matt," Paolo reminded him.

Paolo turned to Akari. "Akari, this is Matt. And that's Dakota," he announced. "They're both a year younger than us."

"Hi!" Dakota chimed cheerfully. Akari waved to them shyly and went back to eating her peanut butter sandwich.

A boy with mint-green hair came up behind Dakota. "Dakota, Dakota, who's she, huh?" he joked, pointing to Akari.

Dakota turned around and pushed him. "You're so mean, Heath!"

Heath pushed her back. "You're stupid!"

"YOU'RE stupid!" Dakota retorted with another playful shove.

"No, YOU are!" Heath shoved her hard onto the ground. Dakota began to cry and another teacher came and pulled the two of them away, looking awfully tired of their shananigans.

Akari, preferring to sit on the sidelines, ate her lunch silently while the other children came and went to see what she was all about. She met all of the rest of them one by one, two by two. In the younger class, there was Van - the doctor's son - and Lucy - who liked bandanas. Then there was Roy, Taylor, and Chloe from their class. All but, of course, that stoic blonde girl from before. Why didn't she come say hi?

When the school day ended, Paolo walked with Akari back to her house. On the way up the stairs, they heard footsteps behind them and Paolo whirled around. That girl was behind them.

"Why are you following us, Vivian?" he snapped. "You live right next to the school!"

Vivian's lips curled into a devious smirk. She stepped between Paolo and Akari, leaving Akari standing precariously on the edge of the unguarded landing. "Don't act like you're something special to my daddy," she hissed. "You may be taking care of his new student, but it will never give you any benefit. I'm still his favorite." The brat of a little girl knocked Paolo's books out of his arms, sending the contents flying. Vivian ran away from the scene, but Akari lost her balance and fell before Paolo could even scream. When he looked over the edge, Paolo saw Akari crying in a heap on the ground a good eight feet below.

"Akari!" Paolo called, leaping down the stairs to her side. He took her hands in his shaking ones and pulled her to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"I hate school," Akari bawled. "I never want to go back there again!"

"That was Vivian," he remarked. "She's Mr. Hamilton's daughter, so she's rich and gets pretty much anything she wants."

Akari wiped her tears and straightened her shirt. "I don't think that's very fair."

Paolo shook his head. "It's not."

"Nothing ever seems fair anymore," sighed Akari, staring down at her newly scraped legs.

The blue-hatted boy reached out and enveloped his friend in a hug. "Don't worry," he chimed. "You have me now."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 ~ Moonlight**

Akari's long hair engulfed her face as the winds blew across the moonlit field. "Are you sure the last one's out here?" she called out to the Sprite.

Finn nodded affirmatively. "I'm positive. We've already the other two corners of the island - the mountain and the lighthouse. It has to be out here. Start looking; it should be glowing."

The little girl brushed the hair out of her eyes and clutched the yellow bell tight to her chest as she began scoping the ground for the final of three moonlight stones that would bring Collin the Harvest Sprite back. Her foot hit something hard, and she moved the grass aside to reveal the stone. As Akari uncovered it, the stone began to reflect the moonlight, nearly blinding her in the process.

"Finn, I found it!" she rejoiced, holding the bell in the light.

Finn darted over to her side and cheered, "Hooray! Quick, let's go ring the bell!" The joyful Sprite led Akari to the edge of a fence on Marimba Farm, which she hopped and ran to the pedestal waiting in the trees. Finn hung it up for her - she was too short to reach - and Collin popped out of the glowing bell, dressed all in yellow and looking rather ecstatic.

"Well, well, well," he joked. "If it isn't Finn, our little reject. Looks like you've managed to save me, am I right? Am I right?" Collin began to laugh. "And you must be Akari."

Akari smiled cautiously and nodded.

"Well, I guess I'll ring my bell, right? Right?" Collin laughed and the bell began to ring without him even touching it. Akari listened in awe. It was a melody unlike anything she'd ever heard before. It was as if it made everything spring back to life. It was magical.

The morning was incredibly bright and alive. Akari woke up for school and found Irene still home in the kitchen with fresh produce.

"I don't know how you did it," the old woman said. "But apparently all the crops came back to life."

"...You told me you'd grant me one wish if I could get us fresh food by winter," whispered the girl.

"Is that so? Well, what is it you want?"

Akari took a deep breath. She thought she knew what she wanted, but she could no longer see why she'd wanted it. "Can... Can I save my wish for another time? When I really know what I want?"

Irene sighed. "I suppose so."

After school, Akari ran to the meadow by the pond and plopped down in front of the dirt patch where she'd planted a seed over the summer. She dug a small hole and dropped in some chrysanthemum seeds she'd gathered in the schoolyard. Something, however, caught her eye before she ran to the pond to get some water.

Right there, in the spot where she'd planted that seed so many weeks ago, was a tiny, tiny stem with a bright green leaf on the end.

It had sprouted.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 ~ The Endless Passing of Time**

_Three years later; winter_

Akari looked at herself in the mirror. She ran her brush through her still-long brown locks and muttered to herself, "I'm getting a little tired of going to this school everyday." Akari pulled on her purple snow boots, grabbed her backpack, and opened the front door. Paolo was standing out in the cold as usual, still wearing his blue cap (though it was beginning to grow rather small for him). He blushed when she greeted him, like he did every morning.

"Good morning, Akari," he beamed.

The now eleven-year-old girl smiled at her friend and started down the steps. "I just can't wait for school to be over for the day!"

"We haven't even gotten there yet!"

"I know, but I really want to go make sure my plant isn't being crushed by the snow!"

Paolo rolled his eyes. "You and that plant..."

"Well, at least I'm the one who actually realized it was a seed! You didn't even think it was going to sprout at all; but that fall, it did!"

Paolo snickered. "Yeah, and has it grown at all in the past three years?"

Akari crossed her arms in frustration. "No, but it's going to soon. I know it."

"Whatever you say..."

The two children continued on down the street towards the school, taking care to avoid slipping on newly fallen snow. Akari's boots made little squeaking sounds as they snaked through the blanket of white.

Since she'd restored the power of earth to the island, Finn had been pestering her to continue her mission, but there wasn't really much Akari could do. She needed to find the green bell, and Finn suspected the Witch - whom Akari was admittedly rather afraid to meet - might have it. But the Witch lived in the middle of Fugue Forest, where no one would allow her to go for quite some time due to the dangers. Akari hoped that now, since she was a little older, nobody would stop her from venturing inside. Either way, a recent blizzard had rendered the path impassable until spring.

"Akari," Paolo spoke to break the silence between them. "Is something bothering you today?"

Akari shook her head. "You wouldn't believe me."

"Is this about that mission of yours?"

"No matter what I tell you, you won't believe a single thing about it anymore."

"Well, we're not little kids anymore, Akari. Maybe you're just imagining things."

Akari spun around and glared at the boy. "How did this suddenly become me being the bad person? I'm imagining nothing. I know it's all real, and you promised me you'd help, but after all these times I've asked you for help sneaking into the forest, you won't even believe it's important!"

Paolo rolled his eyes. "Well, maybe if you told me what this 'mission' even is, I could help you!"

"I can't!" Akari ran up the steps to the school and bolted as fast as she could to her desk and began to pretend nothing happened.

Paolo sat down at his desk beside hers without another word. He knew better than to question her any further about her "mission," the quest she'd mentioned to him three years ago, asking if he'd help when necessary. But he'd grown a little older, a little wiser, and he no longer believed that she was chosen for this incredibly important quest to save the world or whatever it was. No, now he believed that Akari was fussing over imaginary problems, and that made him worry about her. A lot.

What's happened to him? Akari thought. What happened to the Paolo who wasn't afraid to believe in what he couldn't see, wasn't afraid to ask questions no one else would ask? Akari thought long and hard, and tried to hide the teardrops that began to roll down her cheeks the more she thought about it. But is it that something has happened to him? She asked herself. Or that something's happened to me?

Akari worked alone, ate alone, and walked home alone while Paolo sent worried glances her way every few moments. But no matter. If he really worried all that much about what was going through her mind, he'd believe what she said.

Paolo, though accompanied at lunch by Dakota and Matt (and the occasional Heath; but that was mostly so he could get closer to Dakota), felt rather lonely throughout the day. He spent the school day worrying about Akari's state of mind and stealing a quick glance now and then to see if she appeared okay. And throughout the day, he grew more and more worried, as Akari never appeared okay.

Akari flopped onto her bed and sobbed, having held it in all day. Finn - or perhaps just a figment of her imagination - popped out from Akari's bookshelf and landed by her head.

"Akari, what's wroooong?" he whimpered.

The girl lifted her head. "Not even Paolo believes me anymore, Finn," she bawled. "He used to believe it all, used to believe I was going to save the world even though I couldn't explain how. But now he doesn't. Is he wrong? Or did he finally realize, like everyone else, that I'm crazy? What if you're not even real?"

Finn put on his serious voice. "Akari, you may have only really known me for a few years, but I've been waiting for you to finally be free to believe I was real since... well, since you were a baby. All of the trouble you went through that made you come here, all of the things that made you think you were crazy - it's all part of your destiny, Akari. THIS is your destiny. The bells. Your mission. Everything that happened to you HAD to happen to get you here to fulfill your destiny. You were born for this. Nobody else may be able to understand it, and it's their decision if they choose not to even try. Time is always passing, and you'll have to learn that Paolo is naturally going to stop believing you since he has no proof. But it's not up to him. It's up to you. You're not crazy, Akari. I can tell you that much."

Akari sniffled and wiped her tears. "But in my entire life, he's the only one who ever believed me. And now that he doesn't, I feel alone again."

"Then make him believe."

"How do I make him believe that I'm saving the world if he'll never be able to see you and the other Harvest Sprites like I can?"

"There's only one way to make almost anybody believe you're saving the world, Akari."

"And how's that?"

"By saving it."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 ~ A Winter's Night**

Paolo waited impatiently outside Akari's front door, hoping she'd answer. He rocked back and forth on his heels impatiently; it was 9:30, which was the time they'd settled on, but Akari didn't come to the door. At least, not until he rang the doorbell for the 10th time.

The door opened and Akari appeared, seeming ready to leave. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't hear the door."

Paolo blushed. "I was worried you were still mad at me."

Akari shook her head shyly and took Paolo's hand, leading him down the stairs, past the roofs of snowcapped buildings. Paolo felt himself blush again at her touch, which made him blush even more out of embarrassment.

Akari seemed to notice the color in his cheeks and cocked her hat-topped head. "Are you getting sick or something? Your face is all red," she remarked.

This made Paolo blush harder yet. "No, I think it's the cold."

Akari giggled. "Then let's get inside!"

Now, it may seem rather strange for two 11-year-old children to be running around on their own at such a late hour, but this was New Year's Eve, and it was quite common to see the island children walking about town. The Ocarina Inn in particular usually housed them during the earlier hours of the night, where Yolanda would make a bunch of her famous pies.

So it was as such that Paolo and Akari had been spending the last two festivals, joined by Dakota and Matt from time to time.

Paolo and Akari walked into the warmth of the Ocarina Inn at 9:40 PM.

And at 9:41 PM, the chaos ensued.

Matt and Dakota were seated at a table for four. Matt beckoned them over.

"We were wondering if you guys would ever show up!" he chimed, pushing a half-eaten blackberry pie in front of them. "Here, we saved you some pie."

Before Paolo even had a chance to take a slice, Akari's face went blank. She stared at her still empty plate, fork poised in her quivering hand.

He opened his mouth to speak. "A- Akari -"

"...H- He's dead," Akari whispered.

"What do you mean?" Paolo replied soothingly.

"He's dead, Paolo," Akari's voice grew louder. "C- Captain Pascal's dead!" She jumped up from her chair and ran out the door.

Paolo ran after her, leaving the confused faces of his friends behind him. "Akari, where are you running to?" he called.

"I don't know!" was the cry in response.

He ran after her and finally caught her at the beach near the lighthouse. "Akari..."

"He was the deciding factor," Akari muttered, digging her trembling fingers into the sand. "He was the one who determined if I would ever get here to fulfill my destiny. Another captain may have just threw a stowaway like me overboard; but no, he let me stay here. He gave me a second chance at my future."

Paolo crouched beside her. "I used to come to meet him everyday when he returned from his trips. I'd ask him if he found any treasure. The last time I did that was the day he actually found treasure; you."

It was Akari's turn to blush. "He's not coming back from this trip, Paolo," she whispered, standing up, gathering her composure. "They found his boat out at sea."

"How did you know this? How could you possibly have known?"

"I- I couldn't possibly make you believe."

Paolo stood to face the girl, who was only a few inches shorter than himself. He watched Akari's lip quivering, and let out a plead that came out as a broken squeak. "D- Don't cry, Akari," he begged, his breath forming clouds of fog in the cold winter air. "D- Don't cry... d- d- don't -"

Akari burst into tears and wrapped her shaking arms around Paolo. He himself then began sobbing and graciously - though somewhat cautiously - accepted her embrace. Akari wept into his shoulder while he kept his arms wrapped protectively around her.

The two friends spent the next couple of hours trying to preoccupy themselves, playing games and building snowmen with Dakota and Matt.

The large clocked in the center of town chimed to symbolize there was only one minute left until midnight.

"The countdown is starting!" cheered Dakota. The four of them climbed up onto the roof of the clinic for the best view of the festivities. When the clock struck twelve, all of townspeople cheered and the fireworks began above the clock tower.

"You know," Akari giggled. "They say you're supposed to make a wish."

Young Paolo smiled at the joy in his friend's eyes, admiring how she was able to look past the sadness she was undoubtedly feeling. "Hmm, I never knew that," he responded. However, he didn't wish for anything. How could he wish for anything when he had his closest friends right beside him?

Akari took Paolo's hand, gaping at the fireworks shining above them in the seemingly endless sky. Her mittened hand squeezed his ever so gently. Paolo blushed and squeezed hers just a little bit tighter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 ~ Escapades and Espionage**

Akari spent the first two days of school break wallowing in her room in depression. On the third morning she stared at the unplugged television for hours, Irene long gone for work, until Paolo came to the house to snap her out of it.

"Come on, Akari," he called with a sigh. "Open the door. You don't want to waste the entire break, do you? A week goes by pretty fast, you know!"

An exhausted and depressed Akari pulled herself up off of the living room couch and opened the front door. "I am perfectly happy just like this," she mumbled defiantly.

Paolo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Can I come in?"

Akari nodded and locked the door behind him.

"Spring's on its way," Paolo remarked, leaving his wet boots by the door. "The snow is almost completely melted. Just a lot of puddles."

Akari's eyes widened. "The snow's melted?"

Paolo smiled. "That perked you up real fast, didn't it?" he chimed. "If it's the forest you have in mind, it's clear. You just have to avoid getting caught."

"I thought you found the idea pointless."

"I guess I've learned to stop questioning you."

Akari smiled. "Well, I'm going to need your help in that case. Wait right here!" She ran up the stairs and was back, fully dressed, almost instantaneously. "Come on!"

"Now?"

"You're the one who wanted me out of the house, weren't you?" Akari grabbed Paolo's hand and led the now blushing young boy towards Flute Fields as fast as her legs would take her, Finn following silently behind.

Paolo kept watch while Akari snuck into the woods unseen. She made Paolo stay behind, though she couldn't tell him why.

Once inside, Akari called on Finn for some guidance. "Where do we go?" she questioned.

Finn thought for a moment. "We should get there by heading this way." He flew into the depths of the forest and Akari followed. They emerged into a swamp with a small cottage in the center. Akari hopped precariously over the murky depths using rocks as stepping stones. Finn opened the door without knocking, but the Witch was nowhere to be found. The only being in there was a single pink frog sitting on a table as if trying to tell them something.

"I guess she's not here," Finn remarked. "Why don't we just look around, then?"

"Isn't that rude?" asked Akari.

Finn shrugged. "Well, the Witch is the queen of rude. I doubt she would mind."

The frog croaked in disapproval.

Akari began searching the shelves and boxes of various dusty magic paraphernalia. She pulled out a jar of glowing purple liquid and held it up for Finn to see. "What's this?"

Finn's eyes went wide. "Put it back, put it back!" he hissed. "Don't touch anything. The Witch is very fond of black magic!"

Hurriedly, Akari put the jar back and continued searching.

When Finn found the bell, Akari's eyes lit up. "Great," she beamed. "Now, let's get out of here!"

Paolo met Akari back outside the forest and made sure she was safe from being caught before running back home to help his father run the store. Once he was out of sight, she pulled the bell out from behind the trees, and she and Finn wandered through Flute Fields until they reached the windmill. Akari climbed to the top and put the bell on its pedestal. Dressed in green, Daren the Harvest Sprite appeared.

"Is it morning already...?" he mumbled with a yawn. "Oh... it's just time to ring... my..." Daren fell over into a deep sleep and the bell chimed a beautiful melody. When the music faded, Daren faded away, and a gust of wind knocked poor Akari off her feet for a moment.

"Now the power of wind has been restored to the land!" Finn called from below. Akari climbed down the ladder and ran outside cheerfully, followed by the little Sprite. She bumped straight into Craig, who owned Marimba Farm and - as she now would learn - the windmill on Horn Ranch.

The old man frowned and the anger sparked in his eyes. "What are you doing in my windmill?!" he snapped at the girl.

Akari backed away shakily. "S- Sorry, sir, I -"

"I'd better not see you here again! Irene will be getting a call about this, you hear me?"

Akari ran away as fast as she could, trying to ignore the threats coming at her like daggers, falling short and landing on the soft grass as she faded away into the safety of her tiny garden. She collapsed onto the soil and rested there.

"I hope nobody owns THIS land," she muttered to Finn. "I'm never giving up on my plant." She rolled over onto her stomach and faced it. Her eyes widened when she saw it. The plant had gotten taller - not by much, maybe an inch at best - since earlier that day.

_It grew_, she whispered to herself. _It grew_.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 ~ The Adventure**

When the summer came, Akari and Paolo met outside the Inn every morning. Matt and Dakota often joined them, but on this particular day, it was just the two of them.

Akari, for the longest time, had been trying to figure out how to ring the blue bell; she had managed to hop the gate to the Watery Cave when no one was looking, and it was there that she found the bell on its pedestal where it belonged, but Ben the Harvest Sprite had told her that he'd forgotten the melody, and she had no idea how to tune the bell.

But summer was the time for play, so she set her worries aside and spent her days playing with her friends. Today, however, was not to be an ordinary day.

Paolo had spotted something while they were on the beach: a glass bottle with a sheet of paper rolled up inside.

"Do you think it's a treasure map?" Paolo asked excitedly.

"I don't know! Open it, open it!" was Akari's reply.

Paolo pulled the cork out of the bottle and carefully slid the paper out from inside. He unrolled it and cried, "It's a note!"

"What does it say?!"

Paolo cleared his throat. "I think it's some sort of riddle. It says, '_Look in a place where a fatso is sitting near the purple roof, looking very lonely_.' What do you think that means?"

Akari thought for a moment. Then she said, "Well, where is there a purple roof on the island?"

"I think Julius has a purple roof."

"Let's go to Flute Fields, then! Come on!" The two children ran as fast as they could until they reached Flute Fields, out of breath yet ready for more. Akari wandered around the man's house, looking for the "fatso." She assumed it was an object rather than a person.

Paolo called her over. "Could this be it?" he asked, pointing to a barrel.

Akari peered inside the large barrel. At the bottom, she could see another note and what appeared to be an egg. "I see something!" she shouted, reaching down. She could just barely reach the objects and pulled them out.

"A duck egg?"

"There's another note," Akari explained. "This one says, _'Who is taller, soaring above the family that is fishing?'_ It also says to keep everything we find."

"Okay, well... the family that is fishing - that's probably my family!"

"But what does the rest mean?"

"I don't know. Come on, let's go to my house." Paolo found himself unknowingly taking Akari's hand and leading her in the direction of town. He blushed when he realized it, and blushed even more when he realized Akari didn't mind it.

"Soaring above... maybe that means up on the roof," suggested Akari when they had reached the house. The two of them climbed up the stairs leading to the roof. "So who is taller?"

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

Paolo searched the rooftop for clues. He found a slip of paper and a black pearl atop the taller of the two chimneys. "Akari, check it out!" he beamed, holding out the pearl.

"Wow!" Akari breathed.

"And the note! It says, '_First, get five fish. Your third and final clue is: an unnatural wave pattern. Same number, left and right._'"

"So we need to get five fish."

"That's no problem. My dad has some." Paolo entered the fishery. He came back several minutes later holding a bucket of water with five fish inside. "Fish are scarce these days, so he gave me five that were not big enough for people to buy. Now, what did the rest of the clue say?"

"An unnatural wave pattern. Same number, left and right. I think that means the waterfall."

They walked to Garmon Mountain and searched the base of the waterfall. Akari stumbled upon what appeared to be a map sticking up out of the sandy soil. She pulled it out and realized it was more of a diagram. "Paolo, come here!"

Paolo ran over and inspected the paper. "It looks like it has something to do with the stuff we found. See, look. There's the pearl."

But Akari was more interested in a note written on the back. She gestured for Paolo to look at it.

_Follow this diagram to sound the melody of water. There's something special about you two. Don't waste it_, it said. _From Pascal_.

"...It's from Pascal. This whole thing was from Captain Pascal," she muttered. The melody of water... she was thinking. This is what tunes the blue bell!

"Well, we have to follow these directions, then! Come on, let's go back into town!" Paolo and Akari ran back to town at top speed. Akari felt salty tears streaming down her face, but they were whisked away by the breeze she created as she ran.

Paolo stood in the center of town, holding the diagram and looking around. He pointed to a pool of water. "That's where the fish go." They walked up the stairs to the small pond and Akari dumped the fish in. Paolo then pointed to a scale by the Inn. "The black pearl goes on the end closest to us." Akari placed the pearl where it needed to go. "And the egg needs to be rolled off of the Mayor's roof."

Paolo and Akari climbed up onto the Mayor's roof, and Akari held the egg in place. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Paolo nodded. "Whenever you are."

Akari let go and the egg rolled off of the roof. Then, the spectacle began. The egg bounced off of a tent, landed in the town aqueduct, and fell onto the other end of the scale. The pearl then shot up into the air and spun off of the anemometer before landing in the pool of fish. Startled, the fish swam down the aqueduct. They fell onto a set of decorative piano keys (which the two kids thought had no purpose), which subsequently played a short tune - the melody of water.

Almost instantly, Finn surprised Akari by pulling on her hair, and she realized she could hear Ben ringing the bell in the Watery Cave below.

"The power of water is restored..." she whispered.

"What?" Paolo gawked.

"That's the melody that is supposed to restore the power of water on Castanet. The fish are going to come back now. Everything's going to be better now, Paolo!"

Paolo shook his head in confusion. He smiled and patted Akari's shoulder. "Okay. I'll just have to see it for myself."

The next morning, Akari went to check on her garden before she met Paolo at the Inn. She filled a bucket with water from the lake (which was looking much more lively than it did before) and watered her small patch of strawberries. She turned her head slightly to the right and her eyes went wide.

_The plant had grown again._

Akari ran to the Inn where Paolo was waiting. "It grew!" she shouted. "It grew!"

"That's great!" Paolo replied.

Finn watched from afar, thinking. What kind of plant WAS it? And why did it grow a little bit each time Akari succeeded in ringing a bell?

_There had to be a reason._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 ~ The Impossible Kick**

_Five years later, fall_

After spending several years searching for the red bell, never did Akari think it would be in a chimney the entire time.

As it turns out, Chloe had found it before Akari even came to Castanet. She had been playing with it and by some impossible kick, it ended up in her grandfather's chimney. Why it hadn't popped out sooner, Akari had no idea. She thought that maybe Ramsey just never did enough work at one time for it to build up.

"I know," Ramsey the blacksmith said. "If I melt a lot of ores, maybe the smoke would blow the bell out of the chimney."

I could have thought of that, Akari thought.

Ramsey piled a large amount of copper, gold, and silver onto the hearth and waited for it to begin to smoke. Sure enough, it shot out of the chimney with a loud WHOOSH and Chloe caught it outside. She apologized for never mentioning it and let Akari take it. All Akari had left to do was get it to the pedestal. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be very easy.

On the way home, Finn and Akari began to argue about it.

"Akari, you don't have to do this," Finn said.

"I have to. I'm going to get that bell down to the pedestal. Nobody can do it for me. It's my destiny."

"Akari, it's dangerous!"

"Why can't you stop worrying about me for once and let me do what I have to do?" snapped Akari.

"Why can't you LISTEN?!"

"FINE, THEN I'LL GO WITHOUT YOU!"

"No way, I'm coming whether you like it or not!"

"FINE!"

Silence.

All eyes were on Akari. She realized she had been pretty much screaming to herself. And now, everyone around her thought she was crazy.

"...Akari?"

She turned around. Paolo had seen the whole thing. Her eyes filled with tears. She began running.

"Akari, wait!"

"Just leave me alone!"

"Akari!" Paolo ran after her. He caught up with her by the lake. "Akari, what happened?"

"I know and see things you will never be able to comprehend, Paolo. Nothing I have to do will ever be comprehensible by any means. Everyone else may think I'm crazy, but I will always know I'm right."

"I don't think you're crazy. You need to tell me what you're doing. I won't be able to live myself if I unknowingly let you do something stupid."

Akari took a deep breath. "There's this bell, you see," she explained. "I have to take it down to the tenth floor of the mine to restore the power of fire. ...And now you think I'm crazy."

"I don't think you're crazy. And I won't let anyone convince you that you are, okay? On one condition."

"And what's that?"

"I'm coming with you."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 ~ Insanity**

Akari sat in the tiny room at the clinic, refusing to say anything. Mr. Hamilton had set this up. He'd witnessed her arguing with Finn, and... it almost seemed like he knew Finn was there and that disturbed him even more. But Akari knew that was impossible.

Either way, now she was forced to sit across from Jin until he was convinced that she was or was not crazy.

"Akari, please answer my question," Jin pleaded. "I just want to know what happened."

Akari shook her head.

"I don't want to have to argue with you about this, but I will if I have to."

Akari shook her head.

"Can you at least tell me who you were yelling at?"

Akari shook her head.

"Were you yelling at yourself?"

Akari shook her head.

"Were you yelling at one of the other townspeople?"

Akari shook her head.

"Were you yelling at nobody?"

Akari shook her head.

"Then who were you yelling at, Akari?"

"He's not going to understand you," Finn said from behind her. "But you should tell him anyway."

Akari shook her head.

"Come on," Finn pleaded."

Akari turned around. "Will you shut up?" she hissed. Her eyes went wide when she realized what she'd done. She turned back around.

Jin cleared his throat. "Akari, I don't want to believe something's wrong, but I'm not sure I have another choice."

Akari sat there, shaking. Her fists clenched. She was mad. She was mad at Mr. Hamilton. She was mad at Jin. She was mad at Finn. And she was mad at herself.

Akari sat at the kitchen table the next morning, staring at the bottle of purple pills in front of her. She refused to take them. After all, she wasn't crazy. Who knew what it would do to her? Maybe it would make her unable to see Finn. She opened the bottle and pulled out one of the pills. Akari dropped it down the sink drain. There was no way she was going to let anyone tell her she was crazy.

She grabbed her lunch and walked to school. The school year had barely begun. She remembered when she met all of her classmates as little kids, and yet now they were sixteen - Akari included.

Akari took her seat beside Paolo, who greeted her with a smile just like always. But there were no smiles from her today.

"What's wrong?" Paolo asked her.

Akari opened her mouth to answer, but Vivian interrupted with her obnoxiously loud voice.

"Did Little Miss Crazy take her medicine this morning?" she sneered.

Akari stood up. "Did Little Miss Irritating want to die this morning?" she snapped.

Vivian laughed daintily. "Well well, it seems she's forgotten!"

Paolo forced Akari back into her chair. "Leave Akari alone, Vivian. She doesn't need your input."

Akari sat there trembling. "I'm never taking it," she whispered. "Never, not ever. I'm not crazy. You said so yourself."

"It's alright," Paolo assured her. "We'll find a way to get you out of this."

At lunch, Paolo and Akari sat in their usual spot with Dakota and Matt. Things went normally; they talked, they joked, and nobody mentioned Akari's incident. Heath came up at some point to hit on Dakota, who proceeded to kick him where the sun don't shine and send him to his knees.

Everything was normal.

For a while.

Akari's head started to spin. "I- I don't feel right."

Three pairs of eyes focused on her.

"What's the matter?" Dakota asked.

"I- I feel... I feel dizzy..." she clutched her stomach.

"Akari, do you need a doctor?" Paolo asked her. "Akari, can you hear me?"

Akari felt her senses dulling. She felt sick to her stomach. While she still could, she stood up and ran to the trash can, where she threw up her lunch with everyone staring at her.

Dakota walked her to the bathroom. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked.

Akari nodded. She stayed there for the remainder of lunch before heading back to class. Everyone stared at her when she came into the room.

"Well?" she said. "Don't you have work to be looking at?" They turned away and she sat down in her seat. Paolo shot a worried glance in her direction.

"I thought you might like to know," he whispered. "That your water looked like it had some sort of purple powder in it."

Akari's hand flew to her mouth. "...It was the medicine. Irene drugged me. She suspected that I wouldn't take it so she put it in my water."

"Then you'll have to tell her it made you sick. She can't give it to you."

"I know..."

Akari burst in the door of the clinic. "You drugged me!" she accused the old nurse.

Irene looked up from the front desk. "Why, that's absurd!" she retorted.

"No, it's the truth. You crushed up my pill and put it in my water!"

"I wouldn't really call that drugging you. However, I did put your pill in your water."

"What if I had already taken it and I died?"

"I know you didn't."

"But what if I had?"

"I'm sure it's-"

"It made me sick. I can't take it. I threw up. I was dizzy. I could barely get my limbs to move."

Irene sighed. "Then I'll have to see if there is a different kind you can take."

Akari took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I don't need the medicine. I'm not insane. There's nothing wrong with me!"

"You'll have to prove that to me."

"If I save the world, will that be proof enough?"

"What?"

"If I save the world, will you believe I'm not crazy? If I can restore the power of nature to Castanet, will you believe there's nothing wrong with me?"

"If you can pull that off, then sure."

"Until then, no pills. I'm not taking them."

"Alright. We have a deal."

"Promise?"

"...I promise. Now, run along and save the world."

"Oh, I will! And let me tell you," Akari smiled. "I'm already more than halfway there!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 ~ The World Crumbles**

Paolo and Akari trekked through the Garmon Lower Mine cautiously, searching for the exit. Akari had already gotten to the pedestal and the power of fire had been restored. Paolo didn't quite understand it, but it didn't bother him anymore. Now, they were just trying to find their way back out.

Paolo saw the ground crumbling under Akari's feet and, in a desperate act to protect her, he ran and pushed her out of the way. "AKARI, WATCH OUT!" he shouted. Akari hit the wall of the cave, fairly unharmed; Paolo, on the other hand, fell with the crumbling dirt and fell onto the floor below.

"PAOLO!" she screamed. Calvin (Heath's father and an avid explorer) came running down from the upper levels of the mine at the sound of her cries. He held her back.

"Akari, you need to get out of the area immediately!" he insisted.

"No, no, no! It's all my fault, I -"

"Akari, go! It's not safe!"

"No, I can't!"

"I can handle this!"

"But-"

"_GO!_"

Akari ran up and out of the mine, her tears blurring her vision. She never should have let Paolo come with her. She should have listened to Finn when he told her it would be dangerous.

"It should have been me who fell. He saved me. _This is all my fault._"

Paolo lay trembling on the cave floor amidst the dust, unable to move. His head burned with pain and he felt darkness closing in. But it didn't matter, as long as Akari was okay. Akari was really the only thing that mattered to him anymore. If she was happy, he was happy.

He saw someone running towards him; it wasn't Akari, but he didn't know who it was. They were calling his name, carrying him out of the mine, but he was barely there, really. His limbs went numb but the pain in his head grew stronger until he finally slipped into unconsciousness.

Akari stood shakily in the clinic with Ozzie, Jin, and Irene, waiting to hear the result of what she'd caused.

"He fractured a rib and broke his left wrist. He also sustained a minor concussion. But how he didn't get hurt much worse, I don't know. It's a miracle, really," Jin explained. "However, he's going to be here for a while."

Ozzie frowned. "I don't think I have that kind of money."

"I'm terribly sorry," Irene told the man.

"I barely even have the money for food! There just haven't been enough sales anymore!"

Jin sighed. "I don't know what to tell you," he said sadly.

Akari spoke up. "Can't you keep him here anyway?"

"I'm not sure that would work out in everyone's favor," Irene explained.

"PLEASE!" Akari pleaded, shaking. "You can't just let him suffer because there's not enough money!"

"Akari do you understand how expensive this business is?" Irene asked. "Do you know how much it would cost to get him the proper treatment?"

"Please! I've never wanted anything as much as I want this right now! Nine years ago, you told me I could have one wish if I got fresh produce on the table for winter, and I did! _This is my wish!_ You promised me! _I want this more than anything!_"

Irene sighed. "Alright, alright."

Akari broke down in a fit of gracious sobs. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she blubbered. "Oh, thank you!"

The room cleared out and Akari was left alone by Paolo's bedside. For a moment the only sound was the beeping of monitors. "It's okay now," she whispered to her unconscious friend. "You're going to get better. I promise." She took his limp hand and clutched it tightly, fighting back tears because it was all her fault. Akari wanted nothing more than for him to wake up and be okay. Yet despite it all, as she clutched his hand, she could have sworn he blushed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: This is a long chapter... I didn't expect it to be this long, but I just couldn't stop writing it, which I guess is a good thing. Besides, the previous chapters are pretty short. :)**

Chapter 17 ~ If Wishes Were Horses

Raindrops bounced off of Akari's umbrella and danced on the pavement. Akari looked up at the clinic longingly. She pleaded with herself to visit Paolo like she'd been doing with every moment of her free time for the past several weeks. But he was doing better now, and she didn't really worry all that much anymore about him. Besides, there was work to be done.

Finn was perched on the girl's shoulder, staying dry under the umbrella. Neither of them spoke on their trek to the church. Akari's backpack hung over her shoulders, weighed down with the homework she had yet to deliver to Paolo. That was Mr. Hamilton for you; spend weeks in a hospital bed after a serious accident and still get homework. As they got older, that man was becoming increasingly more annoying - or maybe she just noticed it more.

The church steeple tower was brisk with late fall air. Soon, winter would befall the island, something that Akari dreaded because of her plant - which had grown again since she managed to restore the power of fire after the accident. The girl pulled her jacket tighter around her and waited for Edge the Harvest Sprite to come out. After much persistence, Finn managed to coax his fellow Sprite out into the open. The sobbing Sprite materialized in a flicker of purple.

"I- I can't ring the bell," Edge bawled. "Y- You need to get ten wishes from the townspeople first."

"What?" asked Akari.

Edge wiped his tears on his sleeve. "A- Ask ten people what they'd wish for," he clarified. "O- One of them must be you, Akari. C- Can you do that?"

Akari shrugged. "Seems easy enough."

And as Edge faded away, Akari determined that she'd ask Paolo first. She also realized, however, that she had no idea what she wanted to wish for.

Akari went to the clinic alone, without Finn. She lugged her heavy backpack to Paolo's room and knocked on the door. "Come in!" was the response. Akari crept through the door and shut it behind her. Paolo's eyes lit up at the sight of her.

"Akari!" he cheered.

"I come bearing homework," Akari announced, pulling the work out of her bag and setting it down on the end table.

Paolo groaned. "Speaking of school," he then went on to say. "What's been going on?"

Akari stared at her feet restlessly. "Oh, you know, just Vivian telling me I'm a dangerous mental patient who almost killed you because I'm so deranged."

Paolo's brow furrowed. "That's ridiculous," he said. "Nobody can tell you you're crazy, alright?"

Akari sat down in the chair beside him. Paolo adjusted himself and sat cross-legged, waiting for Akari to say something to entertain him. She just stared at him, curious to see what he would do. Their eyes met, briefly, before they both averted their stares.

"Paolo," Akari said finally. "If you could wish for anything, anything in the whole world, what would it be?"

Paolo thought for a moment. He stared down at the bright white sheets, thinking. His cheeks turned several shades redder as he pondered the question Akari had asked him. "My wish?" he asked. "My wish would be... to one day become a boat captain like Pascal was." His heart ached with the guilt of lying to Akari as he said it, although it wasn't a lie, really - it was something he wanted, but it wasn't at the top of his list.

Akari smiled. "I like that wish."

"...I have news for you, Akari," Paolo told his friend.

"What?"

"I'm going home tomorrow."

Akari's face lit up with joy. "Hooray! I'll be over right after school!"

"I know you will." Paolo winked.

How is it possible? Akari thought. How can I restore the power of the heart to the island if I can't even figure out what I want for myself? She grabbed her backpack and headed into the kitchen for breakfast. When her eyes landed on her place at the table, she let out a scream of sheer horror.

Next to her plate sat the bottle of purple pills.

"Akari, stop that screaming!" Irene scolded from her post at the sink. Akari was surprised to see her still home.

"Y- You promised me," she said, pointing to the clear bottle. "We made a deal."

"And I was going to keep that promise," replied Irene, drying a glass with a worn kitchen towel. "But I'm afraid recent events have called for an exception."

"What do you mean?!"

"Akari, you do realize you're the cause of Paolo's injuries, no? You led him into the mine for no good reason."

"He insisted that he come along! He was protecting me! You know why? Because unlike you and everyone else in this town, he actually believes that I'm going to save the world; he has faith in me, and you don't!"

Irene sighed and said calmly, "I'm a nurse, Akari, and I know an increase in symptoms when I see one. Now please just take your medication."

"Symptoms of_ what_?" Akari insisted. "There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Well, if you're not going to take it, and by putting it in your food again I run the risk of you avoiding it, it looks as though I will have to force you to take it."

Akari backed up against the wall, terrified. "No, please, I told you, it makes me sick!"

"We both know you were lying, Akari." Irene approached the girl, pill in hand. With the skill and precision of a true professional, she began to force the pill down Akari's throat. Akari thrashed and struggled to escape. Her blood boiled with horror and rage. She nearly choked on the pill as she tried to scream, desperately praying to even survive the effects of the pill that she knew were eminent.

"I am nearly... seventeen years old..." she croaked, gasping for breath. "I think I know... what is best... for me."

Irene put the bottle of pills in the cabinet. "Not with you being out of your mind, you don't."

Akari's face turned hot. "I think you're the one who's out of their mind," she said calmly.

"Excuse me, young lady?"

"I ran away because I wanted to find someone who would be there for me and believe that I knew what I was talking about. You may take care of me, but you were never there for me. I could never come to you with a problem or for advice like I dreamt of doing. You would leave me, a defenseless little girl, to get ready for school and just leave the house like it was nobody's business. You never knew half of what was going on in my life because you were never there. You have no proof that I'm insane because you never bothered to ask me why I thought what I thought and did what I did. Whether you believe me or not, I am going to restore this island once and for all. It's my destiny, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Akari, you will give me respect, do you hear me?"

"I did find the person I was looking for. But believe me when I say that it wasn't you." Akari slipped into her jacket, grabbed her backpack, and marched out the door, her breakfast still untouched on the table.

"Akari, you get back here this instant!"

Akari ran down the stairs, the terror still rushing through her veins.

The school day started off normally. Akari sat at her desk next to the empty one where Paolo was supposed to be. She collected the eight wishes she needed easily between the two classes before the day even started; that just left her own. The early hours of the day dragged on for an eternity, giving Akari way too much time to worry. She was nearly convinced she'd be okay until the fourth hour hit and Akari sank like a rock. Her head swam and her limbs grew shaky.

"Excuse me?" she asked Mr. Hamilton hurriedly. "May I be excused outside for a few moments?"

"What's the matter, Akari?" sneered Vivian. "Did somebody forget her special medicine this morning?"

"No, I didn't," Akari replied. "That's the problem!" Pale-faced, she waited for a response from the teacher.

"Go, Akari," he said sternly. "Your disruptions are not necessary in this classroom."

Akari ran through the blur to the small yard behind the school. She lay down on the grass and waited for the rescue she knew would never come.

"Finn!" she called. "Finn, I'm scared!"

The Sprite was visible in front of her for a moment before fading again. His words were muffled and choppy like an unsteady radio signal.

"Finn," Akari yelped. "I can't see or hear you. I'm scared I might forget you're there. Just don't leave me! I'm scared, Finn!"

Paolo picked up the ringing telephone on the coffee table. It was Akari. That can't be right, he thought. School isn't even close to being out yet.

"Hello?" he answered.

Akari was panicking on the other end. "Paolo, I'm scared," she cried. "The school sent me home. I'm alone, I'm scared. You have to help me!"

"Slow down, Akari. Why did the school send you home?"

"I told them I felt sick."

"Are you sick?"

"Not exactly," Akari explained. "I- It was that medicine."

"I thought you had made a deal!"

"So did I, but she forced me!" Akari started to cry. "Paolo, I'm really scared! Nothing seems right!"

"How so, Akari?" There was silence. "...Akari, are you there?"

"...I- I can't explain how, Paolo. You wouldn't understand."

Paolo sighed. "Akari, there's no reason to be scared. You'll be okay."

"Paolo, you remember what happened before!"

"...Alright, alright. Come over."

Akari hung up on him. She was at the door several minutes later, pale-faced and anxious.

Akari watched Paolo's face crumple. He patted the seat next to him and she sat down, pulling her knees up to her chin. She shrugged her jacket off and let it fall behind her.

"Do you want something to eat?" Paolo asked. Akari shook her head. "Akari, can you at least talk to me?"

An eerie silence fell and stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. Paolo's heart pounded anxiously in his chest as he waited for the girl to say something. As the seconds drew on, he began to worry about her and she searched for something to say, but the words wouldn't come.

Paolo lay a hand on Akari's shoulder. "You'll be okay. I promise." He then noticed the tears now streaming down her face. "Akari, there's no reason to cry."

Akari shook her head. "It's not that," she said finally, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "I can't explain it. Something's missing, and I don't know what."

"You'll figure it out, Akari. It'll be okay. Just try to take your mind off of things."

"You're the only one who even tries to understand anymore, Paolo. And with the accident and all, maybe... maybe everything really is all my fault."

"Now, you listen to me, Akari," Paolo said sternly, taking her hand in his own. "Nobody, and I mean nobody has the right to tell you this is your fault. You remember what Pascal said, don't you? There's something special about you. Don't waste it, Akari."

Akari told him, "I'm scared. What if that's what this stupid medication is doing to me? What if it's making me lose sight of what's really important? You're the only thing that can keep me from drowning in it. What if I lose you too?"

"I'll never go away."

"I'll never get away," Akari responded.

"What do you mean by that?" Paolo asked.

"I can't even find myself, Paolo. I'm lost. I'm stuck with this mission I can't accomplish because I've gone through the past ten years completely lost." She let herself lean against him and cried into the soft cotton of his shirt. She felt, for an instant, this longing for something, a wish, but the medicine must have taken over her mind at that point, because for the life of her she couldn't remember why it was important. Paolo put an arm around her and she soon fell asleep, resting her head against his neck, and she let herself drift into a drug-induced slumber and relinquished herself to the poison in her mind.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 ~ The Power of the Heart

Akari woke up to the sound of her name, opening her eyes to let in the warm sunshine streaming through her bedroom window.

Wait.

She wasn't in her room, and it wasn't morning.

She was still in Paolo's living room.

"Akari, it's almost 6 o'clock!" Paolo was shaking her awake. "Won't Irene be home soon?"

Akari jumped out of her skin. "Oh Goddess, you're right!" she exclaimed, pulling on her jacket. She gave Paolo a hug and thanked him for being there for her. Then she ran for home, leaving the now blushing young man behind. She knew if Irene got home and she wasn't there, she would be in big trouble.

And then she remembered that morning, and how much trouble she was already in.

Akari ran into her room and shut the door. She lay down in her bed and prayed for it to all be over. Slowly but surely, Finn eventually became fully manifested before her as the effects wore off.

"Finn! Finn, it's you, I can see you again!" Akari exclaimed.

"I was there the whole time, waiting!" Finn chimed.

Akari blushed ever-so-slightly. "So you saw me break down like that, huh?"

Finn smiled. "Akari, I've always known when you were happy or sad, ever since you were a toddler and we knew you were the one. Today was no different."

The sixteen-year-old girl sat straight up and listened. "I think that was the door," she whispered. "Quiet! I'm going to pretend I'm asleep!"

Finn flew under the bed and Akari lay back down. She let her breathing steady as much as it could and waited to see if she would make it through.

"Akari!" Irene called. Akari's heart leapt into her throat. "Where are you?" The old woman's footsteps drew nearer; Akari heard the door creak open. She lay almost motionless, hoping the trick would work. "Wake up!"

Akari snapped up, faking a rough awakening. "Mm?" she mumbled.

"Get up out of bed, young lady!" Irene commanded. "We're going to have a talk."

"Mm? A talk about what?" Akari muttered 'sleepily.'

Irene grabbed her wrist and led her to the kitchen. She sat her down at the kitchen table. Out of the corner of her eye, Akari saw Finn watching over her from atop the fridge.

"Your actions have been absolutely unacceptable," began Irene. "You need to grow out of your silly fantasies and realize you're hurting people! What do you think this medication is for, Akari?"

"It's not a cure," replied Akari bravely. "There's nothing TO cure. It only harms me. It's nothing more than a cruel way for you and everyone else to explain the things you don't understand."

"Akari, it's time to wake up and realize the things you're seeing aren't real."

"I'm not the one who has to wake up. It's you. Why can't you trust my judgement? I know if something's bad for me, and giving me this unnecessary treatment is! The only way to create peace with this situation is for you and everyone else to realize that maybe there are bigger things out there that only I can see."

Irene sighed and shook her head. "This isn't healthy, Akari. There's no such thing as a Harvest Sprite, or magical bells, or all of these other idiotic concepts I hear you talking about to yourself in your room all the time."

Akari's blood boiled. So Irene had been eavesdropping on her conversations with Finn! "You believe in the Harvest Goddess, don't you? And the Harvest King?"

Irene nodded. "Of course I do!"

"Then why can't Harvest Sprites exist? Why can't there be other things outside of our knowledge? Why does everyone have to remain so narrow-minded?"

"I don't know how to respond to this anymore, Akari. I just don't."

"Can I call in a witness? This is a fair trial, isn't it? Since you don't believe me, maybe you believe it when someone else says it."

Irene shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead. I don't see the point in arguing."

Akari picked up the phone and called Paolo. He was her last hope.

He picked up on the second ring and answered with concern. "Hello?"

"Paolo, do you mind coming over?" Akari asked. "I need you to stand up for me."

"Alright... I'll be over in a few."

"Thank you! Please hurry. You're the only one who can help me!" Akari hung up the phone and waited anxiously by the front door for Paolo to arrive. When the doorbell finally rang, Akari opened it eagerly and let the young man in.

"How is your wrist doing?" Irene asked upon greeting Paolo.

Paolo looked down at his left wrist, which was cast in white plaster. "Much better, thank you."

"Glad to hear. Have a seat."

The three of them sat down at the table, Paolo and Akari across from Irene.

"Explain to her why you're standing up for me," Akari pleaded, staring at her friend. "Prove that I'm telling the truth... please, Paolo."

Paolo cleared his throat. "Akari is in no way the cause of what happened to me. It was my choice to accompany her. It's not fair to blame her and make her feel guilty when she wouldn't even be sitting here if I wasn't there."

"What was the need to go into the mine?" Irene asked.

"Akari's trying to save the island. It's her destiny, and she's been trying to accomplish this for nearly ten years now. Things like this only hold her back."

"The medicine you FORCED DOWN MY THROAT this morning," Akari interjected. "It stops me from seeing what I need to be able to see. I lose my grip on reality when it's supposed to do the opposite."

"Exactly," Paolo agreed. "Ma'am, the first time Akari took that, she got so sick that I nearly made myself sick worrying about her. Everyone made fun of her for several days after that."

Akari then added, "If you don't let me stop taking those pills, I'll never be able to focus long enough on what I need to do, and this will never be over!"

Irene thought for a few moments and sighed. "Alright, since it's been proven to me that you're physically harmed, I won't make you take your medication. BUT! I will NOT believe this nonsense about restoring the island until I see it with my own eyes. I do not believe you are clinically insane, perhaps just childish with an overactive imagination - after all, in ten years you've never been able to explain the incident with the photograph."

"Nobody will ever be able to comprehend any explanation I could give!" Akari insisted.

"Don't push your luck. No more or I'll continue listening in on your nonsensical ramblings you have in your room."

"C- Could I go for a walk with Paolo real quick? I'll be back in time for dinner."

"You have half an hour."

"Oh, thank you!" Akari pulled Paolo out the door so they could be alone to talk before he emotions ran wild. She took extra care to make sure Finn knew she wanted to be alone.

They walked silently down the stairs, and Akari led Paolo aimlessly through the streets.

"I don't know how I'll ever repay you for all of that," Akari told her savior.

"Please, that was nothing," replied Paolo humbly.

Akari shook her head. "No, you're the only reason I'll be able to do what I have to do! Y- You're the reason I won't fail or... die because of some dumb pill!"

"Akari, I was just standing up for you, like a friend is supposed to."

Akari stopped walking suddenly and grabbed his hand, causing him to blush. "That's the thing, Paolo! You're the only one who's ever stood up for me!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "When I was lost, you found me, and now I was able to find myself! I know what I've wished for all along now, Paolo! I've wished for someone to finally have faith in me and now I realize it came true the day I met you!" In a split-second burst of her emotions, Akari reached her arms up around Paolo's neck and kissed him, feeling salty tears against her skin, unsure if they were Paolo's or her own. She felt Paolo wrap his good arm around her protectively, filling her with a feeling of safety and peace that she only felt when they were together.

The moment was interrupted - though, in the end, perhaps enhanced - by the sound of a church bell. Paolo looked at his watch.

"That's weird," he remarked, taking Akari's hand to walk her home for dinner. "The church bell hasn't worked for years. I doubt you've ever heard it. Even so, it only rings on the hour, so it's awfully odd that it's ringing now."

Akari smiled and shook her head. "No," she stated, staring at the purple church bell ringing in the distant tower. "It makes perfect sense."

And thus, the power of the heart

was restored.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 ~ The Blizzard

"Akari, hurry up!" Paolo groaned, waiting anxiously by the front door. "The snow's really coming down out there and I don't want us to be late for school!"

Akari threw on her coat and boots and flung her backpack over her shoulder. "Come on, let's go," she said, pulling Paolo out the door. The snow made it nearly impossible to see where they were going. They made their way down the many stairs cautiously, struggling to keep their footing on the slippery pavement.

Paolo and Akari made it to school with two minutes to spare, covered with snow. Everyone appeared to be soaked - well, except for Vivian, who lived right next to the school. Paolo sat down at his desk and Akari sat down beside him, just like always. Vivian didn't do any work and got away with it, just like always. And Akari paid much more attention to her own thoughts than her assignments, just like always.

Just like always, Paolo walked Akari home, getting her through the raging snowstorm and making sure she was safely home before heading home himself. He would have liked to stay and keep her company for a while, but he could tell she was tired and didn't really need company.

Akari, in all actuality, had some important business to discuss with Finn. She didn't realize that, of course.

"Akaaarrriiiii!" the Sprite chimed right on cue, darting around her head. "Did you want to go see what the Harvest Goddess needs you to do next?"

"...What?" Akari asked, confused.

"You rang all of the bells, Akari. There really isn't much left for you to do."

Akari's eyes went wide. "What's left?"

"We'll have to ask the Harvest Goddess."

"Well, not today," Akari remarked. "There's no way I'm going back out in this weather." She picked up the remote and turned on the TV, tuning into the weather broadcast.

"Well eventually we're -"

Akari shushed Finn. "Looks like we're stuck in a full-out blizzard now, Finn." She turned the volume down and unzipped her backpack. "I guess I'd better do my homework while there's still light."

The wind gradually began to roar and the snow fell harder outside Akari's house. At six o'clock, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Akari answered.

It was Irene. "Akari, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," replied Akari.

"Good. You may be alone for a while, Akari. I have to stay at the clinic during the storm. Emergency procedure, you understand."

"O- Okay."

"I'm afraid the weather reports are suggesting we may be snowed in. It surely wouldn't be safe to go outside, regardless. You're almost seventeen. I trust that you'll be able to handle this alone. There isn't much I can do."

"Al- Alright."

There was a pause. "...Akari, are you certain you'll be okay? I can get someone over to stay with you if that would make you feel better, but you'll have to tell me now before it gets far too dangerous."

"I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Y- Yes." After all, she had Finn, right?

"Alright. Be careful, Akari. Goodbye."

"Bye."

_Who am I kidding?_ she thought. In reality, she was terrified. _Finn's scared of everything. I might as well be alone._

She was alright for a while, though secretly frightened, sitting alone in the living room with the weather on. She got herself something to eat and got out candles and flashlights in case of emergency.

The blizzard raged outside her window, and she just hoped that everyone was safe.

Paolo paced around the house anxiously, alone while his father was helping with some sort of emergency measures. He couldn't believe that the school day had only ended a matter of hours ago; now he wished he had stayed with Akari. He had this nagging feeling that she was alone. After all, Irene was bound to be holed up in the clinic. He knew Matt and Dakota were sure to be safe. But he just couldn't help but worry about Akari. There was really no worse of a feeling for him - nothing hurt him more than the thought of Akari needing help.

He turned off the TV and tried to compose himself. But it was no use. He couldn't take it anymore.

Akari was half asleep on the couch when she heard the violent pounding on the front door.

"Akari!" someone was shouting.

Akari jumped up and ran to the door. She opened it and let them in, slamming the door shut against the wind.

Despite the snow that covered them, she knew who it was. She recognized those dark eyes anywhere.

"PAOLO!" she screamed, pulling off his coat. "WHAT IN GODDESS'S NAME ARE YOU DOING?" She yanked off his hat, gloves, and scarf and he kicked off his snow boots. "Goddess, your freezing!" Akari led him to the heater and he stood over it, warming his hands. She then began to make some hot chocolate.

"I figured you were alone," Paolo finally explained. "I was worried about you."

"You're insane, is what you are!" Akari handed him a large mug of hot chocolate. "You could have died out there!"

"I didn't want you to be trapped in here by yourself."

Akari began to cry. "Just stop," she muttered.

"Akari, I didn't mean to upset you! Please don't cry!"

She slapped him in the arm. "Don't scare me like that! You're finally all better from before. Goddess, you horrify me sometimes!" She hugged him. "You're such a moron..."

"Bet you're glad I'm here though, aren't you?"

"Uh-huh..."

"And that's why I came."

Akari got some blankets from the closet and made sure Paolo was sufficiently defrosted before settling in beside him on the couch. She turned the weather broadcast back on and picked up her hot chocolate.

She sighed. "I knew I would be okay," she said quietly, rubbing her thumb against the warm mug. "But even so, being alone was still scary."

Paolo smiled. "I get it."

"I may be turning seventeen next week, but in reality I'm still just a kid."

"Come on, we're all still kids."

"Oh please, you're plenty mature! Nobody else would be enough of a man to risk their lives in weather like this to help me."

With a blush, Paolo replied, "Yeah, but I was just being stupid because I can't control my instincts. Face it, I'm an idiot."

"You are an idiot," Akari chuckled.

The room went dark, silent. Akari sighed and curled up into a ball. Paolo took a flashlight and peered out the window through the falling snow at the darkness.

"Everyone's out," he remarked. "The whole town's in darkness. It's... disturbing."

"It's just electricity," Akari pointed out. "I like to just think how everyone is still in their homes waiting just like we are."

Paolo sat back down beside Akari. She rested her head against him and lay there with him in the darkness until she fell asleep. Paolo settled her head down on a pillow and draped a couple blankets over her before going to sleep on the floor as the blizzard continued to rage outside.

Paolo pushed a lock of long brown hair behind Akari's ear. "Wake up," he said, gently jostling her awake. "Akari, the snow's stopped."

The girl opened her eyes and looked around. The room was bright but the air was still cold; the electricity hadn't come back on yet. "Are we snowed in?"

"Pretty much. There's close to two feet of snow out there," Paolo answered. "But the door opens inward, so we should be able to unblock the door... snow will get in, though."

"It's just water. Come on, let's get to work!"

"Now? It's seriously a stretch... I mean, we could just end up making a bigger mess of things. Do you really want to do this? "

"Why not?" Akari already had her coat and boots on and was wrapping a scarf around her neck. "Maybe others need help." She took Paolo's scarf and put it around his neck. "Well? It's worth a shot, isn't it?"

"Alright, if you say so."

Akari pulled a second snow shovel out of the closet while Paolo donned his still-wet belongings.

"I'm not sure this will work out," Paolo admitted. "But if you're willing to take the risk, let's go for it."

Akari was already working on getting the door open. With Paolo's added strength, the door opened with a crunch and a mini avalanche of snow poured into the doorway.

"Go get some towels to put down," Paolo told Akari. "I'll get the snow out of here."

Paolo shoveled the snow out the door and Akari came running back with a stack of towels. She laid them down as Paolo shoveled out the last bit of snow, and then she picked up her shovel to help him shovel their way out.

Slowly but surely they shoveled a path down the stairs. It was painstakingly difficult work, but Akari said she wasn't tired every time Paolo asked, so they kept going, working their way to the center of town surrounded by lingering flurries of snowflakes.

Paolo sighed and muttered, "It's a good thing I..." but his voice trailed off.

"It's a good thing you what?" Akari asked.

Paolo shook his head. "Nothing."

"Come on! Tell me!"

"Nothing!"

"Paolo, whatever it is, you can trust me, can't you?"

"Not in this situation..."

"_Paolo!_"

Paolo groaned. "I didn't mean it like - Akari, it's complicated, okay? Look, we made it. Now let's go help people."

Akari sighed and followed Paolo to the clinic, which was already clear. A path was already being cleared in both directions.

"Looks like they had your same idea," Akari remarked.

Paolo spotted Ozzie helping to shovel snow. "Dad!" he shouted. "Dad!"

"Son, I've been so worried about you!" Ozzie exclaimed in relief. "How'd you manage to get out of the house on your own?"

"I wasn't at home, Dad. I ran over to Akari's early on to make sure she was okay."

"He almost froze to death is what he did," Akari interjected, coming up beside Paolo.

Ozzie smiled. "That's my son. Risking it all for who he loves."

Akari felt herself blush. Paolo coughed, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"So! Dad!" he beamed in an attempt to change the subject.

"Right! Uh, we started shoveling at the first available opportunity. Dr. Jin and Nurse Irene are currently in Flute Fields and Garmon Mountain. Getting them there was our main priority, as there was no way for anyone out there to get help if necessary, what with the distance and all." Ozzie cleared his throat.

"...I guess we'd better get to work, then," Akari said.

"Yeah," Paolo agreed without making eye contact.

"...Yeah."


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: Short chapters are back, I guess. Heh.**

Chapter 20 ~ The Beginning of the End

Finn darted close behind Akari's head on the seemingly endless trek through the snow towards the Goddess pond, and yet neither of them spoke. Perhaps they were both stuck in their own thoughts. There was a pit in Akari's stomach; something was eating away at her, but she didn't know what it could be. Finn thought she looked upset, and wondered if it was because of the things Paolo had almost said but refused to tell her. The inability to help Akari at every opportunity despite the ability to watch over her every waking moment bothered the Sprite from time to time, while at the same time he was glad it forced her to watch out for herself.

It had been about fourteen or fifteen years since he first began to watch Akari at two or three years old. For many, many years before then, Finn had been traversing the globe in search of someone who could restore the island before it became too late. It did, however, become too late - but then Akari finally came to fulfill her destiny. He saw some amazing things over the years, but nothing compared to the journey he saw Akari go through over the years.

The Harvest Goddess greeted Akari and Finn upon their long-awaited arrival with Akari's final mission in mind. "Akari, there is but one more thing left for you to do. But it's rather complicated," she explained immediately.

Akari frowned. "Complicated?"

"You need to find the seedling of hope. Help it grow with your love and care... take it to the top of Garmon Mountain and summon the Harvest King. _Become the hero you know you can be._"

"I- I don't know..."

"Akari, you had this much doubt when you first came to me - you know what you can do."

"What? What can I do?"

The Goddess smiled. "_Anything_."

Long before the sun broke over the horizon the next morning, Akari woke up in the middle of a dream, which she had become quite invested in. In the dream, she had been watching a scene play out fron a slight distance. There was a group of three or four people, arguing, and their faces were unclear, almost distorted in such a way that Akari couldn't tell who they were. She felt angry at them, and she didn't know why.

She couldn't make sense of the dream, and she wished she could enter back into it and find out more, but she couldn't get back to sleep. The room was dark, and quiet, and she was alone, much unlike the intense and noisy situation she had been thrown into the middle of mere minutes ago.

Akari stood up and put on her sweater and slippers, quiet so as not to wake Finn. She opened her bedroom door and tiptoed down the hall into the kitchen. Now wide-awake, she opened up the cupboard and pulled out an unopened glass jar of fresh peanut butter. She spread it onto two pieces of wheat bread and pressed them together, and Akari had herself a midnight snack.

After she ate, Akari was still not tired. She put on her coat over her pajamas and replaced her purple slippers with her boots and stepped outside into the night. The streets were dark and deserted (as was proper for two in the morning), the only sound the crashing of ocean waves onto the beach.

She wondered how Paolo had been doing - they'd had minimal contact in the days following the blizzard. Akari knew there was something he wanted to tell her but wouldn't, and that bothered her. But even more bothersome was her dream; who were all of those people? Why were they arguing so much? And why hadn't they paid her any attention? Akari thought long and hard as she walked back and forth under the dim streetlamps - and then she realized it.

It was much like the day she'd decided to run away.

She remembered it only vaguely, as if the event in itself had been a dream. She had been locked in a cold, desolate room in some children's psychiatric clinic somewhere, standing on tiptoe and peering through a smudgy window in the door at a doctor - who had to be the seventh or eighth psychiatrist she'd been thrust into the consultation of in the past year - arguing with Goddess knows who at that point, and she decided she wanted out.

She sat down on a bench, and she thought about the dream and decided to take it as a message or an omen that was telling her to finish what she was fighting for.

"Akari?" a voice asked quietly.

She looked to her right. Paolo was standing a few yards away.

"What are you doing out here this late?" Akari asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing."

Akari shrugged. "Couldn't sleep, is all."

"Something on your mind?"

"I guess you could say that."

Paolo wiped some snow off the bench and sat down beside her. "What's up?"

Akari sighed. "Paolo, if you had to become a hero, what would you do?" she asked her friend.

Paolo frowned. "I don't I could ever give you an answer to that one."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, if it means anything, you're already a hero in my book."

"Thank you, but in this situation that means absolutely nothing."

Paolo paused, trying to formulate the right words. "This... mission of yours. It's ending now? I mean... that's what it sounds like from all of this talk of being a hero."

Akari shook her head. "No," she answered. She watched Paolo's weary-looking eyes widen. "You could say this... is just the beginning."


End file.
